Plateau State Government has imposed a 6pm to 6am curfew in Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Jos South local government areas following attacks and reprisals in some communities that led to the death of many.

The police have confirmed the recovery of 86 corpses.

The curfew was announced yesterday in a statement issued by Plateau State Commissioner of Information, Yakubu Dati and signed by the Secretary to the State Government Rufus Bature.

It said the restriction of movements became necessary to avert a breakdown of law and order.

Daily Trust reports that about 12 communities in Barkin came under multiple attacks on Saturday night leading to the death of dozens, according to local sources.

The attacks, however, led to a breakdown of law and order around Angle D, which is close to Grand Cereals in Jos South as travellers were forced out of their vehicles and killed.

The President, Berom Youth Movement in Barkin Ladi, Dalyop Choji, had told journalists that 72 corpses have been recovered with many still being discovered in nearby bushes.

He said 31 corpses were recovered from Gashish village and 41 others from 11 neighbouring villages all in Barkin Ladi LG.

For his part, the Secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Abubakar Gambo said apart from the five travellers killed on Friday, a young boy and five others had been killed around Gindin Akwati on Saturday while Rigan Kuwait settlement, a few kilometres from Barkin Ladi, was attacked on Sunday.

Travellers hacked to death

By Sunday afternoon, youths around Angle D. had blocked the high way and attacked travellers coming into Jos.

Alhaji Baba Bala Bukuru told journalists that he had watched as four persons were dragged out of their vehicles and hacked to death. “We were lucky, we had to turn around our vehicle and escape,” he said.

Daily Trust reports that the weekend attack is suspected to be the climax of weeks of tit-for-tat killings between Berom locals and the Fulani communities around Barkin Ladi.

Operation Safe Haven Media and Information Officer, Major Adam Umar, who spoke to our correspondent while on the field, said arrests had been made and that the taskforce had repelled the Barkin Ladi attackers.

He said reinforcement had been sent to all crisis areas including Jos South to ensure that travellers were safe.

“Casualty figures and the number of criminals arrested cannot be ascertained at this time because the operation is ongoing,” he added.

86 corpses recovered – Police

However, the police confirmed that 86 corpses were recovered following the attacks in Gashish and environs of Barkin Ladi local government area of the state.

The police command, which had earlier confirmed 11 deaths, updated the casualty figure to 86 as at 7:40 Sunday night.

A statement issued by the Police spokesman, ASP Tyopev Terna, said the Commissioner of Police, Undie Adie, had deployed more personnel to Gashish District for a search and rescue as well as on the spot assessment.

Terna said the team was headed by ACP Edeh John of the Department of Operations and that after a careful search of the villages attacked discovered “86 persons all together were killed, six people injured, 50 houses burnt, 15 motorcycles burnt down and two motor vehicles burnt down.”

He said the team also carried out a detailed deployment and corpses were released to families for burial.